High turnover is a challenge for a contact center and especially the recruiting department whom need to ensure that the companies has sufficient staff to meet all the customers’ needs.
A majority of the agents in the contact center are aged between 18 years to 35 years. These are the famous generation Y, and their working culture has seen its fair share of negativity. Generation Y employees expect instant results and success, and will move to another job without blinking if they will reach their goals faster.
That makes the contact centers all over the world have the highest turnover rate according to statistics. It is inevitable for employees to leave your company, but that should not discourage you. You can try working on these four tips to reduce churn at your contact center:
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Engage the employees
Employee engagement is very important for you to reduce churn. When your employees feel engaged and involved with the company, they will be more productive. A high-performing employee is recognized for their hard work, and this motivates them to do more.
To engage the millennial employee, think of utilizing technology, as they have grown up with technology and work well with it. For example, you can introduce electronic games that they can play during their breaks, and can compete as individuals or teams.
At the end of the day, your goal is to have highly engaged employees who will be satisfied with their roles and not want to leave as soon as they start working.
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Create a supportive working environment
An agent is under a lot of pressure. The management expects him or her to meet certain KPI’s, and the customer expects to receive the best customer care. Being the link between the two parties, at times it gets tough, for example, when dealing with frustrated customers.
Why and how the customer is angry is not under your control, but you can ease the burden for the agents by creating a supportive working environment. Let them feel your support and motivation on a daily basis. Allow your agents to escalate extremely difficult issues for them to resolve and you can give the customers a solution as well as teach the agent how to deescalate at the same time.
Ensuring their working spaces are clean and habitable will also help employees to be comfortable as they work.
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Add meaning to their jobs
Another reason that generation Y employees quit their jobs is if it doesn’t create some meaning. They don’t want just to work for the sake of it; they want their work to be meaningful.
You can create meaning by involving them in charity work or volunteer opportunities. They get to interact with the communities around them and feel they are giving back to the community they live in.
You can also ask them to give suggestions of the charities they want to support. Such opportunities get them involved and interested in their job as it gives them a chance to influence the company decisions.
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Acknowledge their Performance
Finally and importantly, you need to acknowledge their efforts. Motivation fuels the desire to do better even when the going gets tough. As a manager, you need to appreciate your agents and show them that they are doing well.
A simple “Thank you” for handling a customer well, for bringing in the highest sales, or showed the best improvement will go a long way in motivating that agent. They will feel appreciated and valued. Therefore, they will continue giving their best to work not searching online for the vacancy announcements.
Remember to commend even the ones who are trying to reach the top, not just those who are already there. Working with a highly motivated team will reduce churn in your contact center.
In summary, to reduce churn in your contact center, keep you employees engaged and motivated. They will derive satisfaction from their jobs and not be quick to look for something else.
This blog post first publish on LinkedIN
